<p>I am thinking about endometrial ablation. Anyone out there with good results OR not so good? I just cannot live this way any longer, and menopause is still a few years off, at least. Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>My neighbor did it and swore it was the best thing she had ever had done.</p>
<p>I went to a doctor to find out about endometrial oblation. The doctor did an exam, then sent me for an MRI. It turned out I had something called adenomyosis. (You can google it). It’s when the endometrial lining has actually worked its way into the muscular wall of the uterus. With adenomyosis, when you get your period, your uterus isn’t just shedding a lining - the muscle itself is literally hemorrhaging. Plus, the swollen muscle tissue can’t effectively clamp down on the blood vessels to stop the bleeding. In this case, endometrial oblation won’t help. The only real treatments are hormonal (bc pills or lupron) or removing the uterus. I went with the surgery and it was the best thing I ever did. I have more energy, less PMS symptoms, and I didn’t have to plan my life (and my family’s outings) around my unpredictable, very heavy periods any more.</p>
<p>They don’t really know what causes adenomyosis, although it seems to be more common in women who’ve had c-sections. I had 2. They think the tissue gets into the muscle when the incision is made and/or stiched up.</p>
<p>Oh wow…that sounds awful. I see my GYN next week and will see what unfolds. The general anesthesia is what I hate. I did have a friend who had ablation quite a number of years ago, but was awake. They used some sort of heated liquid to burn away the lining. She said the last minute or so was brutal. I think is rather be asleep…</p>
<p>My twin sister (a doctor) had it a couple years ago–great results, and she highly recommended it to me. (I had/have the same problem she had–heavy bleeding, accidents, etc. I thought about it, but held off due to high deductible insurance. After a couple years things have gotten much “lighter.” Not sure of your age, but the worst of it for me was around 46-48. Then around 49-50 it became much more normal/manageable. I’m 51 now, and getting toward the end of it, so I think I can wait it out. But looking back, I’m sure I could have saved myself a lot of grief if I’d had the procedure years ago.)</p>
<p>My reply got lost…hmm. I’m 47. The kicker is heavy, heavy bleeding AND cycles that went from 28 days on the dot, to every 22-24 days. Menopause is at least 4 years away if family history is any indication, so I think I am leaning towards doing it.</p>
<p>I went through this for a couple of years. Major, drag; I actually started to wonder if I was going to have to resort to Depends at night! My last 3 or 4 periods have been very light, so I’m hoping the worst is over.</p>
<p>Both my best friend and my SIL had endometrial ablation–for different reasons. Friend had multiple fibroids and extremely heavy periods. My SIL has Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber Syndrome which means she has multiple abnormal blood vessels throughout her body. She had extremely heavy periods and was at high risk for hemorrhagic bleeding. She decided to have endometrial ablation when her period bleeding could no longer be control thru hormonal treatment. Both had great results with no negative side effects. SIL was relatively young when she had the procedure–late 30’s/early 40’s.</p>
<p>Friend’s procedure was done while she was awake using microwaves. She had some discomfort, but not a great deal of pain. SIL’s procedure was done in hospital under general anesthesia because she was a high risk patient. (She’s is for just about anything medical.)</p>
<p>When i had to keep changes of clothing in my car, i knew i had to do something. I was considering it, but like Lafalum, I was diagnosed with adenomyosis. Since I’ve had BC, hormones were out - the only thing that might have been possible was Mirena IUD, but we decided the risk was too high. No c-sections for me, just luck of the draw. </p>
<p>The women I know who have had it done were thrilled. A couple had to have it ‘re-done’ (probably have un-DX adenomyosis), but otherwise good words for the procedure and recovery. </p>
<p>The tamoxifen I’m on for BC risk reduction has a good side effect of reducing or eliminating periods. I’m planning on staying on it til I’m through menopause. :)</p>
<p>I had an ablation seven years ago (late 30’s). I had problems since high school. Complications with fibroids, several laparoscopic surgeries, and Drs insisting I take BCPs (I’ve never tolerated any form of BCPs). I finally moved to an all female practice and was very quickly scheduled for an ablation. Funny, you don’t have to go through a 10min speech trying to convince a female OB how bad it is. They believe you from the get go. I did have gen’l anesthesia. A lot depends on which method and I’m sure there have been advances in seven years. I’ve been very pleased with the results. I’m glad I didn’t wait any longer. If you’d like any additional information feel free to pm me.</p>
<p>My neighbor and I both had ablations years apart. We both ended up with a hysterectomy a few years later for different reasons.</p>
<p>The ablation helped us both with the heavy bleeding. I had adenomyosis (diagnosed on biopsy after surgery) and ovarian cysts, my friend fibroids.</p>
<p>The ablation recovery was fine, If you have ever had a laparoscopy similar recovery. I wouldn’t hesitate from doing it.</p>
<p>shellz, please, please, make sure they are doing whatever tests needed to ensure you don’t have uterine (or cervical) cancer. Heavy bleeding can be a symptom. I believe this is one of those cancers that is easily curable early, but devastating if caught in the late stages.</p>
<p>A dear neighbor of mine had heavy bleeding in her mid forties. The doctor prescribed her some sort of medication to control the bleeding. By the time they realized something was seriously wrong, it was stage four uterine cancer and she died a couple of weeks later. I had moved, and didn’t know any of this until it was too late.</p>
<p>[Heavy</a> Menopause Bleeding - What You Need to Know About Heavy Menopause Bleeding](<a href=“http://menopause.about.com/lw/Health-Medicine/Conditions-and-diseases/Heavy-Bleeding-and-Menopause-.htm]Heavy”>Abnormal Uterine Bleeding: Causes, Treatment, and More)</p>
<p>Busdriver is correct. This was absolutely required testing, along with others, before I was cleared as a candidate.</p>
<p>Will do, Busdriver. My Gyn is fantastic, and very proactive. Thanks for the reminder, though. It gets easy to push bad thoughts to the back of ones mind during the labor intensive family raising time of life. Everyone else gets immediate attention, while I tend to put off my own issues. Not this time!</p>
<p>I had one done about 10 years ago due to fibroids. They went in and removed them and in order to prevent more, they burned the lining. It has been great, honestly. Just make sure you trust your GYN and can talk it through. Mine was done under sedation but as out patient at like a clinic. It was done/over within a few hours.</p>
<p>No experience with endometrial ablation - never heard of it before, but I can say that I love being post-menopausal. I did not have a disorder, but I had very painful periods, sometimes accompanied by multiple bouts of vomiting. They were much better after I had my children, but I had them late. It is great to be done with it, and the mess, and having to worry about when it will strike. </p>
<p>Good luck, shellz. If you are 47, you might be 8 years away from menopause. I was in my mid-fifties.</p>
<p>I had the version done with freezing and it was great. Well, it was a painful to have the cervix dilated, but the procedure itself was not bad and the recovery was just a day of crampiness. I had fibroids and was about the same age as you and could not imagine waiting for menopause since it could be 3 years, or maybe 8, who knows? It just seemed intolerable to be bleeding so unpredictably. I decided I was having something done after I bled through a tampon and a pad during a meeting.</p>
<p>I had the balloon ablation procedure two years ago (I was 55) and am so glad I said yes. My GYN checked for all possible reasons that I was essentially hemorrhaging non-stop for about 6 weeks, but could find none. I was anemic and becoming more so by the day. She performed the procedure under a general in a non-hospital surgical center and I was home about 3 hours after arriving. A couple of days of cramping and light bleeding and I have been period-free since.</p>
<p>I also had the ablation done about 5 years ago at age 49. Was done under general anesthesia, no pain or discomfort. The bad thing is that my relief from heavy bleeding only lasted about 4 months, and then it started again. Next choice was hormone therapy or partial hysterectomy. I went with the hysterectomy and am so happy I did. At the time my doctor seemed to think the ablation probably did not work because of large fibroids in the uterus. I remember how neurotic I used to be making sure that I always had my purse full of those huge pads (my daughter called them diapers). Really nice not having to worry about that anymore.</p>
<p>All these replies have been so helpful. Thank you all. I am seeing my Gyn on the 16th, and I am going to tell her I want to go for it. I am so tired of being tied to the house for 2-3 days each cycle because I am afraid of having an embarrassing accident. You know it’s bad when a super plus tampon AND an overnight pad are only good for an hour tops…and sometimes not even that long. I have had a history with ovarian cysts, but I don’t think fibroids. I guess I have lots to talk to the doc about.</p>